Thin-place preventer for looms.



J; T. RUTLEDGE. THIN PLACE PREVENTER FOB. LOOMS.

' APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 27, 1908.

Patented June 8,1909.

. INVENTOR.

W I TNESSES ATTORNEY s t v UNET S AES OFFXQE.

THIN-PLACE PREVENTER FOR LOOMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1909.

Application filed August 27, 1908. Serial No. 450,462.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEROME T. RUTLEDGE, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing at Easthampton, in the county of Hampshire and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inThin-Place Preventers for Looms, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in devices used in connection withthe take-up mechanism and the filling-fork mechanism of looms, in whichI provide certain peculiar means, controlled by the filling-forkmechanism of the loom, to throw out the take-up pawl and detent and tolet back the take-up ratchet-wheel of said loom a 11predetermined lingruns out,

number of teeth, when the f and to restore the take-up mechanism tonormal condition and action upon restarting the loom, after the fillinghas been replenished, all as hereinafter set forth.

The object of my invention is to provide automatic means for reventingthe formation of thin places in c 0th while being woven on a loom, atsuch times as the filling runs out, such means being certain andeflicient, capable of attachment to almost any loom, and particularlyadapted for use with a takeup ratchet-wheel having coarse teeth,although the new mechanism will work equally well with a ratchet-wheelhaving fine teeth. Other let-back devices have been made which areadapted for fine toothed ratchet-wheels only, they being entirelyinapplicable to the other kind, hence in this particular, namely, theadaptability of my mechanism to coarse toothed ratchet-wheels, residesone of the important advantages of my invention. I attain this object bythe mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is a plan view of a preferred form of my mechanism as applied to aloom, so much of the frame, the take-up mechanism, and the filling-forkmechanism of the loom being shown in this and the other three generalviews as is necessary to fully illustrate the practical application andoperation of the new mechanism; Fig. 2, a right-hand end view of theparts shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a perspective view of the lifter; Fig. 4,a front elevation of the aforesaid applied mechanism; Fig. 5, an endelevation similar to Fig. 2 excepting that the parts are abnormallydisplaced, and, Fig. 6, a perspective view of the stirrup for thetake-up detent.

"suitably mounted on one end of which is an ordinary take-upratchet-wheel 2 driven in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, underordinary conditions, by means of the usual take-up pawl 3. A detent 4,for the ratchetwheel 2, is pivoted at 5 below the pawl 3 to a bracket 6made fast to the end of the frame 1. On the top of the frame 1, near theend 0 posite that which carries the take-up mem ers, is a slide 7 whichforms part of the filling-fork mechanism.

With the exception of the detent 4, which is somewhat different from theold take-up detent, the above-mentioned parts are old and well-known,and the operation of all of these parts is so generally understood bythose skilled in the art as to need no detailed description beyond whatwill be given hereinafter in connection with the description of theoperation of the new mechanism, the construction of which latter willnext be described. I

Rotatably supported in bearing brackets 8 and 9 is a shaft 10 having oneend off-set downward to form a crank 11 in the present instance. Thiscranking of the shaft 10 is not always necessary, but is resorted to forthe purpose of permitting the desired amount of motion to be imparted tothe parts mounted on said shaft at this end without requiring that theshaft be rotated so much as it would have to be in the event that theshaft were left straight throughout. Since the shaft 10 is rotated or inreality only partially rotated by the slide 7, the amount of suchpartial rotation naturally must be slight because the amount of movementof said slide is small. The slide 7 actuates the shaft 10 through themedium of an arm 12 which is fast to and rises from said shaft in frontof said slide. The brackets 8 and 9 are fastened to the frame 1 and solocated as to potending arm 16 provided at its lower end With a pivotpin 17 which is on the inside. A let-back detent 18 has its upper endloosely mounted on the pin 17, while its lower end engages the teeth ofthe ratchet-wheel 2 forward of a vertical line passing through thecenter thereof. Tight on the crank 11, inside of the arm 16, is anangular lifter 19 terminating at the end opposite that which is mountedon said crank in a stirrup 20. The lifter 19 extends downward andrearward and its stirrup 20 receives the pawl 3. A stirrup 21, for thedetent 1, is slotted at 22 to receive a set-screw 23 by means of whichsaid stirrup is secured to the rear end of the lifter 19. The slot 22 inthe stirrup 21 enables said stirrup to be adjusted. The construction andarrangement of parts are such that the stirrup 20 is over the stirrup21, that is to say, the former is above the horizontal plane of thelatter. The arm 12 and the lifter 19 are rendered adjustable by means ofset-screws 24 and 25, respectively.

A stop-pin 26 projects outward from the frame 1, at the end to which thearm 16 is adjacent, into the path of travel of the base of such arm.

In Fig. 3 the hole in the lifter 19 for the setscrew 23 is shown at 27.

Assuming that the parts are normally disposed, as best shown in Fig. 2,the operation of the mechanism is as follows: The ratchetwheel 2 isoperated in the usual manner by the pawl S'Qsisted by the detent 1, oneratchet-tooth a ter another passing beneath the detent 18 which isloosely pivoted to the arm 16 and so offers no resistance to said wheelwhile rotating in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2, until such timeas the filling becomes exhausted, when the filling slide 7 is actuatedforward to stop the take-up mechanism and let back the ratchet-wheelone, two, or more, usually two, teeth, representing a correspondingnumber of picks or filling threads which, in the absence of the let-backmechanism would be left out of the fabric being woven. In other words,one or more threads would be left out because the ratchet-wheel 2 iscertain to run over or to make a part of a revolution after thefillingfork mechanism is set in operation, so that one or morepulsations are given to said wheel before the throw-out for the take-upoperates effectually. ith my mechanism this lost motion is taken up andso the formation of a thin place in the cloth is prevented, the latterbeing due to the fact that the new filling can be started in exactlywhere the old filling left off.

Considering the operation in detail, it will be observed that, when theslide 7 moves for ward, said slide rocks the arm 12 in the samedirection and with it the shaft 10. This partial revolution of the shaft10 imparts an upward movement to the lifter 19, which is sufficient toraise the pawl 3 and the detent at out of engagement with theratcliet-wheel 2. By this time the ratchet-wheel 2 has run over, say twoteeth, corresponding to two picks, but this over-run is immediatelyretracted by the reversal of said wheel and the backward partialrotation of the same as far as the detent 18 and the arm 16 will permit,or until said detent and arm are. checked by the stop-pin 26 with whichthe a rm now contacts. The amount of this let-back is regulated by thehandle 14 in the manner presently to be described. The lnickwardmovement on the part of the ratchet-wheel, or the. movement indicated bythe arrow in Fig. 5, results from the usual tension to which said wheelis constantly subjected. The parts now stand as shown in Fig. .5.

After replenishing the filling the slide 7 is withdrawn from its forwardposition. Such withdrawal releases the arm 12 and inci dentally permitsthe members directly displaced thereby to assume under the force ofgravity their former and normal positions. The ratchet-wheel is thusonce more restored to the control of the take-up pawl and detent andimpelled by the former begins its forward rotation. W hen theratchetavheel resumes its regular rotation it carries the detent 18 andhrm 16 forward, gravity assisting, until said arm strikes the stop-pin15. The arm 16 is checked by the stop-pin 15, and then the detent 18 isheld by said arm in readiness to stop the ratchetavheel again when it islet back in the manner already fully explained. By loosening theset-screw 13, rocking the handle 1-1 on the crank 11, and thenretightening said set-screw, the position of the stop-pin 15 can be sochanged as to check the arm 16 at any desired point and so set thedetent 18 for an over-run and let-back of any number of teeth of theratchet-wheel that is practicable; that is to say, the amount of forwardswing of said arm is determined by the position of said handle and itsstop-pin, and this fixes the forward movement of said detent anddetermines whether it shall at the end of such movement engage or be inengagement with the first, second, third, or fourth tooth on theratchetwheel which is ahead of the point where the detent stops thetooth engaged thereby when itself stopped in its bacluvard movement bythe encounter of the arm 16 with the stop-pin 26.

Minor changes in details of construction, such as will readily occur toone skilled in the art as well as such may be required to adapt theimproved mechanism to different looms, may be made in such mechanismwithout departing from the nature of my invention, and, of course, theshape and size of some or all of the parts will vary more or less.

I claim l 1. A thin-place preventer, for looms, comprising a suitablysup orted rock-shaft, an operating member for the latter, a lifter tighton such shaft, an arm loose on such shaft, a let-back detent pivotallyconnected with said arm, and stops arranged to limit the movement of thearm in both directions.

2. A thin-place preventer, for looms, comprising a suitably supportedrock-shaft, an operating member for the latter, a lifter tight on suchshaft, an arm loose on such shaft, a let-back detent pivotally connectedwith said arm, a stop arranged to limit the movement of the arm in onedirection, and a stop carried by said shaft to limit the movement of thearm in the other direction.

3. A thin-place preventer, for looms, comprising a suitably supportedrock-shaft cranked at one end and provided with an operating member, alifter tight on such cranked end, an arm loose on said end, a letbackdetent pivotally connected with said arm, a stop arranged to limit thebackward movement of the arm, and a stop arranged to limit the forwardmovement of the arm.

4. A thin-place reventer, for looms, com prising a suitab y supportedrock-shaft cranked at one end and provided with an operating member, alifter tight on such cranked end, an arm loose on said end, a let-backdetent pivotally connected with said arm, a stop arranged to limit thebackward movement of the arm, and a stop carried by said cranked end tolimit the forward movement of the arm.

5. The combination, in a loom, with a take-up ratchet-wheel, pawl anddetent, and a movable member of the. filling-fork mechanism, of asuitably mounted rock-shaft provided with an arm arranged in operativerelation to said filling-fork member, a lifter tight on such shaft andprovided with engaging members for said pawl and detent, an arm loose onsaid shaft, a let-back detent pivotally connected with such loose arm,said last-mentioned detent being in engagement with said ratchet-wheel,a stop arranged to limit the movement of the let-back detent and itssupporting arm when actuated backward by the ratchet-wheel, and thus tocheck further backward movement of the latter, and a stop to limit theforward movement of the arm.

6. The combination, in a loom, with a take-up ratchet-wheel, pawl anddetent, and a movable member of the filling-fork mechanism, of asuitably mounted rock-shaft provided with an arm arranged in operativerelation to said filling-fork member, a lifter tight on such shaft, suchlifter having a stirrup at its free end for said pawl, a stirrupadjustably attached to said lifter for said detent, an arm loose on suchshaft, a let-back detent pivotally connected with such loose arm, saidlast-mentioned detent being in engagement with said ratchet-wheel, astop arranged to limit the movement of the let-back detent and itssupporting arm when actuated backward by the ratchetwheel, and thus tocheck further backward movement of the latter, and a stop to limit theforward movement of the arm.

7. The combination, in a loom, with a take-up ratchet-wheel, pawl anddetent, and a movable member of the filling-fork mechanism, of asuitably mounted rock-shaft provided with an arm arranged in operativerelation to said filling-fork member, a lifter tight on such shaft andprovided with engaging members for said pawl and detent, an arm loose onsuch shaft, a let-back detent ivotally connected with such loose arm,said ast-mentioned detent being in engagement with said ratchetwheel, astop arranged to limit the backward displacement of the letback-detentarm and its detent together with the ratchet-wheel, and a stop carriedby said shaft to limit the forward movement of said let-back detent arm.

JEROME T. RUTLEDGE. Witnesses:

J. M. STERNS, A. C. FAIRBANKS.

